WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 27, 2017)—On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed the Medicare Part B Improvement Act of 2017 (HR 3178). The bill accelerates the implementation of Medicare payment for home infusion services to January 2019, two years earlier than the start date established in last year’s CURES bill. AAHomecare was one of 168 organizations and companies who asked Congressional leadership to move the implementation date forward earlier this year.
Bill Also Adds O&P Clinical Notes to Patient Records
HR 3178 also establishes that “documentation created by an orthotist or prosthetist shall be considered part of the patient's medical record” in order to help determine medical necessity of O&P products. Other provisions in the bill would extend the Medicare Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) Demonstration Project through the end of 2020, expand the use of telehealth for ESRD-related visits and monitoring, and allow for independent accreditation of dialysis facilities.
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